Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Thursday, 8 October 2009
Film Review "Boys Don't Cry"
“Boy’s Don’t Cry” is a poignant and powerful film that left me disturbed and uncomfortable. It is the true story of Teena Brandon (Hilary Swank), a young woman who is in the throes of a sexual identity crisis. She cuts her hair and dresses like a man to see if she can pass for one. What starts out as an experiment turns into a full fledged alter ego as she is accepted as a man by a group she meets in a bar. The story follows the group's escapades, including Brandon's love affair with Lana (Chloe Sevigny), who falls in love with Brandon, thinking she's a man. It culminates with the discovery that Brandon is actually a woman with a dramatic confrontation in the finale.
Hilary Swank gives a heartfelt and courageous performance throughout the film leaving you entranced that’s before having to see a gut-wrenchingly violent multiple rape scene which is not the most pleasant things to see. My first thoughts of the themes of this film were that it was about courage and lesbianism, however, after watching a second time I discovered that actually it is not really either of them its more to do with finding your identity; not just sexual identity but finding yourself.
All the characters in this film I think are lost or confused although Brandon is the only one who realized it herself. This film was also about obsession. Brandon takes extraordinary risks to live the male role, not out of courage, but out of an obsession to know and understand it, and to see if she can find comfort and a sense of belonging. This film truly takes you on an emotional journey.
Hilary Swank’s performance is outstanding and a natural performance as well I think after all she is a woman playing woman playing a man and she does it with perfection, her stunning ability to create a living character that is so real you forgets that you are watching fiction.
At the end you discover that this is a true story which made me feel quite sad that because of her identity however illusive it was she had to die. This film is great and is truly a excellent watch however its not for the faint hearted I give this film a 9/10
Hilary Swank gives a heartfelt and courageous performance throughout the film leaving you entranced that’s before having to see a gut-wrenchingly violent multiple rape scene which is not the most pleasant things to see. My first thoughts of the themes of this film were that it was about courage and lesbianism, however, after watching a second time I discovered that actually it is not really either of them its more to do with finding your identity; not just sexual identity but finding yourself.
All the characters in this film I think are lost or confused although Brandon is the only one who realized it herself. This film was also about obsession. Brandon takes extraordinary risks to live the male role, not out of courage, but out of an obsession to know and understand it, and to see if she can find comfort and a sense of belonging. This film truly takes you on an emotional journey.
Hilary Swank’s performance is outstanding and a natural performance as well I think after all she is a woman playing woman playing a man and she does it with perfection, her stunning ability to create a living character that is so real you forgets that you are watching fiction.
At the end you discover that this is a true story which made me feel quite sad that because of her identity however illusive it was she had to die. This film is great and is truly a excellent watch however its not for the faint hearted I give this film a 9/10
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